A glass brick wall

Abstract: A glass brick wall (1) comprising a plurality of generally rectangular glass bricks (2) layed in horizontal runs between spaced elongated vertically extending support frame members (3), the wall having horizontally extending elongated separation strips (4) between adjacent horizontal runs, characterised in that, the vertical support frame members (5) present a face incorporating vertically spaced apertures (9) receiving said separation strips (4).

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION THIS INVENTION relates to a glass brick wall or partition and in particular, but not limited to an improved method of construction of a glass brick wall or partition using an improved support frame. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In most systems glass bricks are usually box like in shape being made from two hollow halves welded together. This results in a central weld bead between marginal ridges forming a peripheral channel around the glass brick. Channels of adjacent bricks are placed side-by-side and grouting or other filler is used to fill the channel between adjacent glass bricks and a wall is made up in this fashion. Many different methods are used in the building industry to build glass brick walls using various borders comprising channel shaped support frames with peripheral glass bricks being located in the channel. This method of construction allows for a border giving a clean back or outer surface of the channel shaped support frame to be retained against adjacent walls or structure. In these methods, separation strips are used between the glass bricks and adhesive is applied between the strips and the bricks. These known walls suffer from a number of disadvantages. Separation strips used to separate each glass brick are not well supported, and due to the glass bricks being located in the channel, moisture can find its way into the channel shaped support frame. All these disadvantages have a detrimental effect on the adhesive used to secure the glass bricks to the support frame. Further, the separation strips are not effectively retained or supported by the support frame. Consequently, by using these methods of construction of a glass brick wall or partition, there can be potentially a high risk that the wall may fall or be pushed out without very much force. In addition to the above US patents 4,965,975; 4,986,048 and 2,141,000 all describe glass brick walls comprising a plurality of generally rectangular glass bricks layed in horizontal runs between spaced elongated vertically extending support frame members, the wall having horizontally extending elongated separation strips between adjacent horizontal runs and involve various elements of complexity in construction. US patent 4,965,975 describes a glass brick wall employing a narrow flat strip slid into self locating support pieces at spaced brick intervals, the strip being secured at opposite ends using an L-shaped bracket secured to the strip by fasteners. In this arrangement the strip must be cut to precise length and the bracket must be secured to the strip in accurate position. There is no flexibility for adjustment during assembly of the wall, the bracket determines the alignment of the strip by means of the abutment of the end of the strip to the angle of the bracket. This means the strip is to be cut square and to proper length to meet the bracket and fasteners. US patent 4,986,048 employs flexible separation strips unsupported at opposite, the wall being supported by reason of end bricks being held in channels. US patent 2,141,000 describes an arrangement whereby separation strips have a flange that projects through a slot in end frames. The flange has a hole and its removal from the slot is blocked by a nail in the hole. The present invention provides a simpler more efficient glass wall construction than in the prior art. OUTLINE OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to alleviate at least to some degree the aforementioned problems associated with the prior art. In accordance with a further alternative aspect, there is provided a glass brick wall comprising a plurality of generally rectangular glass bricks layed in horizontal runs between spaced elongated vertically extending support frame members, the wall having horizontally extending elongated separation strips between adjacent horizontal runs, characterised in that, the separation strips have opposed longitudinally extending beading locating the separation strips between the runs of bricks and each separator strip being supported at its end by a bracket having a support member projecting into a space between the channel of an adjacent glass brick and the separation strip. In a further aspect, there is provided a glass brick wall having a support assembly utilising channels so formed in the glass bricks to support a separation strip between adjacent glass bricks, the separation strip having opposed longitudinally extending beading locating the separation strip in said channels of said adjacent glass bricks and the separation strip being supported at its end by a bracket having a support member projecting into a space between the channel of an adjacent glass brick and the separation strip. The bracket support members are typically a plurality of fingers adapted to straddle the separation strip thereby projecting into the channels of adjacent glass bricks with fingers projecting into the channels above and below the separation strip. The fingers are typically about the same thickness as the beading so that the fingers locate flush or below the beading in the separation strips. Typically two fingers are positioned on either side of the separation strip, the fingers protruding generally at 90° to the bracket body, the bracket body being generally planar and being adapted to be fastened to a wall, frame or the like. Preferably, the bracket includes a marker or position indicating means so the bracket can be located at a predetermined position so that the separation strip supported by the bracket is positioned generally at 90° to the wall or support to which the bracket is fitted. The support frame members can be of any desirable shape but are typically box-like or channel-like in section. Preferably, the support frame members have a channel-like cross-section including a bridging web section extending between opposed flanges. Each glass brick is typically made form edge welded together dish-like sections having a weld bead extending around the brick in a shallow recessed side wall thereof, each of the separation strips being self locating in adjacent recesses between glass bricks of adjacent horizontal runs. Typically, each separation strip has transversely spaced pairs of back-to-back channels for holding jointing paste and opposed relatively thick marginal edge portions being transversely spaced and separated by recess register means adapted to project into the glass brick recess to automatically locate the separation strips, each pair of back-to-back channels sharing a relatively thin wall and the separation strip having a relatively thick central medial portion located over the weld bead. Preferably, the separation strips can be produced from plastics or metal materials known in the building or construction industries. Further, these plastics or metal separation strips can be produced to give a constant space between each glass brick in the glass brick wall in both the horizontal and vertical planes so that the glass brick wall can be accurately built. In another preferred embodiment, the separation strips can be made from extruded aluminium having any suitable cross sectional profile for the construction of the glass brick wall of the present invention. In a preferred embodiment, a typical separation strip involves an elongate strip of thin sheet material marginally narrower than a side wall of a glass brick, the glass brick being of the type made from welded together halves where the side wall has a relatively wide and shallow recess extending around the glass brick and a weld bead generally centrally disposed in the recess, the strip having opposed marginal edge portions adapted to fit between adjacent glass bricks just beyond the shallow recess and having tapered recess register means merging from the marginal edge portions and extending into the shallow recesses of adjacent glass bricks, so that the separation strip is automatically centred in the recesses of adjacent glass bricks. The separation strip typically employs spaced pairs of back-to-back channels for holding jointing paste, the channels being inboard of the recess register means and being bounded by the recess register means and inner elongate beading members, the marginal edge portions being relatively thick and the back to back channels being separated by a relatively thin shared wall so as to minimise the amount of material used in the separation strip without compromising strength. Preferably, in order to maintain the strength of the strip, the strip includes a medially bulged portion having back-to-back relatively narrow channels positioned and adapted to accommodate the respective weld beads of the adjacent glass bricks. In another embodiment, the separation strip is segmented and manipulated to provide a non-planar glass brick wall. Preferably, the segmented separation strip has transverse divisions extending outwardly from each side of the medial portion of the separation strip. Typically, the transverse divisions in the separation strips are in the form of wedge shaped cut-out segments so that the medial portion between the cut out segments can be manipulated to follow a predetermined shape, for example, to form a curved glass brick wall. Preferably, the cut out segments are stamped or cut out of the separation strips so that successive cut out segments are at intervals coinciding with the lengths of the glass bricks being used in the construction of the glass brick wall. Typically, the lengths of glass bricks used in the construction of glass brick walls include 240mm, 115mm, 190mm, 146mm or 300mm. Preferably, the cut out segments in the separation strips can be cut or stamped out of any suitable width so that as each glass brick is positioned on the segmented separation strips, enough space is allowed between each glass brick for the construction of the curved glass brick wall. Typically, the cut out segments have a width of about 10mm. In a most preferred form, the extruded aluminium support frame may be manufactured with longitudinally extending V-shaped grooves running along the length of the face incorporating the apertures so that adhesive can be applied in the desired position to achieve optimum performance of the adhesive when constructing the glass brick wall. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the invention can be more readily understood and be put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings and wherein:- Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a glass brick wall utilising a preferred support assembly according to the present invention; and Figure 2 is a detailed view of a typical support assembly. METHOD OF PERFORMANCE Referring to Figure 1, there is illustrated a glass brick wall 200 comprising a plurality of glass bricks 201, the glass bricks 201 being supported by separation strips 202 carrying beading 203 and being held in place by brackets 204, the brackets 204 having projecting fingers 205 which are adapted to extend into channels 206 of the glass bricks 201 so the fingers 205 are disposed between the separation strips and the glass bricks. This can be see in more detail in Figure 2 where like numerals have been used to illustrate like features. As can be seen the bracket 204 includes a plate section 207 secured to a timber frame 208 by a pair of screws 209 and 210, the bracket 204 being located in place by aligning the pointer portion 210 with a locating line 212 drawn on the timber frame 208. This enables the bracket 204 to be located in the proper position so that the separation strip 202 (shown in phantom) is automatically positioned correctly due to the position of the projecting fingers 205. As can be seen, the fingers 205 have been positioned to straddle the end 213 on the separation strip 202. In the case illustrated the fingers 205 are just thick enough so that they do not extend above the beading on the separation strip 202 so that they fit flush and are positioned between the separation strip and the adjacent glass bricks without interfering with the positioning of the glass bricks in the glass brick wall. The brackets 204 are typically made from sheet metal stamped into the general shape illustrated in Figure 2. Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the present invention, many variations and modifications thereto will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the broad ambit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims: A glass brick wall (200) comprising a plurality of generally rectangular glass bricks (201) layed in horizontal runs between spaced elongated vertically extending support frame members, the wall (200) having horizontally extending elongated separation strips (202) between adjacent horizontal runs, characterised in that , the separation strips (202) have opposed longitudinally extending beading locating the separation strips (202) between the runs of bricks and each separation strip (202) being supported at its end by a bracket (203) having a support member (205) projecting into a space between the channel of an adjacent glass brick (201) and the separation strip (202). A glass brick wall according to claim 1 wherein the support member is a plurality of fingers adapted to straddle the separation strip thereby projecting into the channels above and below the separation strip. A glass brick wall according to claim 1 wherein the support member is a plurality of fingers adapted to straddle the separation strip thereby projecting into the channels above and below the separation strip, the fingers being about the same thickness as the beading so that the fingers locate flush or below the beading in the separation strips. A glass brick wall according to claim 1 wherein the bracket has a transverse bracket body and the support member is a plurality of fingers adapted to straddle the separation strip thereby projecting into the channels above and below the separation strip, two fingers being positioned on either side of the separation strip, the fingers protruding generally at 90° to the bracket body, the bracket body being generally planar and being adapted to be fastened to a wall, frame or the like. A glass brick wall according to claim 1 wherein the bracket includes a marker or position indicating means so the bracket can be located at a predetermined position so that the separation strip supported by the bracket is positioned generally at 90° to the bracket. A glass brick wall according to claim 1 wherein the bracket and separation strip are fitted together in a longitudinal sliding relation. A glass brick wall according to claim 1 wherein the space occupied by the support member is defined by longitudinally extending portions of the separation strip adapted to permit longitudinal sliding movement of the projection relative to the separation strip but to prevent lateral movement. A glass brick wall according to claim 1 wherein the separation strip and the bracket are engaged in effectively a telescopic relationship so that during erection of the wall opposite ends of the separation strip may be adjusted in position between the frame members.

Inventors: WIRKUS MICHELLE ANN, WIRKUS RANDOLF ANDREW, WIRKUS, MICHELLE ANN, WIRKUS, RANDOLF ANDREW
Applicants: EURO GLASHAUS S L, EURO-GLASHAUS, S.L
Application year: 1994
Main classification: E04C1
IPC codes: E04G21, E04B2, E04C1